Tag: Cannabis

The History of 4/20 

Walton Westfall

When we hear about 4/20-, we know that it’s weed day. It’s seen as a festival, with even stadiums and other locations celebrating the freeing of cannabis and the extent of this. It’s considered an unofficial holiday in the world of cannabis, and some people do celebrate it the moment the clock strikes. What’s the history though? What’s the background behind this? Here, you’ll learn about the myths that have started to circulate, and also find out the history of where 4/20 came from. 

The Myths 

One of the most popular beliefs is that 4/20 is based off the police code for the term marijuana in the state of California. Others say that it’s the penal code that’s used for that, but it’s not totally correct. 

This is actually not true. Another one is because it’s basically a reference to the composition that marijuana has, with 420 being the chemicals that were found in this. It may make sense until you discover that it has more than 500. So not true. Another one is that it came from the bob Dylan song that’s called Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35. However, this doesn’t give you 420, as those numbers don’t add up, since the line in it possibly alluded to it.  

While Dylan may be a reference to this, it was never the true reason, and there’s no evidence from the songwriter that the meaning behind that was to multiply the numbers.  You’re also not going to get this if you add them, but if you multiply them. So where did it come from if Dylan isn’t the reason for this? Read on to find out. 

The Real Origins of This 

The main story that’s the most credible comes from five students in high school who would meet near the statue of Louis Pasteur in order to partake in marijuana. This was always done at 4:20 because it was after school. There was no significance. This is something that started out as a ritual, which they would use “420” to reference this. 

It actually was validated in the High Times magazine in 1998. But how did five students in high school do this? Well, those five students were actually pretty influential. Two of them were directly connected to the Grateful Dead, a popular band. Mark Gravitch’s dad managed the real estate for them. Dave Reddix the other boy who was mentioned in the group actually had a brother who was pretty close to Phil Lesh, the bassist. When they hung out, they would text the phrase 420 to reference that there was marijuana. 

This was used in a lot of the inner circles throughout the 70s and 80s when referencing marijuana, and it wsa pretty insider as well. 

When December 1990 hit, the Grateful Dead fans in Oakland accidentally popularized this. They encouraged people to try it while at the concert, and they did have flyers that would invite people to light up on April 20th at 4:20 pm.  This is where the 420 events first started, and it also was when the first exposure to this. 

The flyer was also officially printed from the High Times magazine all the way in 1991. 

These days, nobody doesn’t need to hear 420 in the code since it’s so popular these days. But the symbolism of this is definitely more connected and communal, and it’s a good part of the culture of cannabis. 

Almost every city in the US partakes in some kind of event on the day, so it’s not just something that’s good for history, it’s good for culture too. 

Weed season 

Walton Westfall

You may wonder if there are specific seasons that will help you grow the cannabis better. Some people think that they can grow cannabis at any time, planting at any time of the year and then boom, they get good results. That’s not the case. Weed season matters for a lot of growers, and here, we’ll go over what that is exactly, and why it should be looked at. 

What is it? 

This is the season where people can grow cannabis outside successfully. It’s also when people inside are able to sow, harvest, and grow the cop as well. This is definitely based on the type of bud that you’re growing, since some of them do need more sun than others. But weed season is similar to other horticultural phenomenon. This is similar to how growers of veggies for example are able to grow during similar seasons. You don’t usually start a plant right before the winter season hits, right? You usually do it when the season is about to end, and right before the beginning of the spring. 

What the seasons are 

This is something that does depend on the type of location you’re in. for those who are in the northern hemisphere, this usually is based on the vernal equinox, or the beginning of spring.  This is something that tells growers that they can start growing the seedlings inside under some light, using grow lights to function. 

Depending on the initial final frost date for growing, the growers will usually do outdoor transplant from late April all the way to late may, and the weed season can last up to 8 months, ending frost that happened in October. The southern hemisphere is literally the opposite. It begins in September, which is when their early spring happens, and then, this happens all the way through February and then march, which is basically their autumn and summer. 

In tropical areas, this can vary, however. For some who live near the equator, they can actually do this all the time, since they have 12 hours of daylight, regardless of the season. Plus, since it doesn’t get cold, its humid and warm all the time, which is perfect for the germination of the buds without too much effort. However, one of the downsides to this is that the amount of sunlight can work against them. 

Some photoperiod strains that are from eastern Asia actually need the cues from the season so that they can vegetate, reproduce, and flower, and also need this before the frosts come in. so, you need to make sure that you manufacture this sort of seasonal cycle if you live there such as 12 hours on, 12 hours off, keeping that pattern, and it lets them flower. 

This is also something you need to look at in period where there is daylight all the time, since this can impact the way that they’re able to flower. You do need to be mindful of the mutations that happen with some of these varieties, especially when they start to flower based on cues which are different, making them develop problems as well. 

It’s also important to look at the elevation, which is a huge part of growing. Growing seasons that tend to be shorter at higher levels of elevation are quite common, since the forests will come in, and then leave later or earlier than the season for growing. Both auto flowering and fast-flowering plants are best for those areas. Regardless, the weed season does change based on the type of place you live, so keep that in mind when choosing strains. 

Using Cannabis for Creativity – What’s the Deal?

Walton Westfall

Ask any American employee who is working in some creative field. Oftentimes, these types of people face some pretty serious roadblocks to actually getting their work done and feeling good about it. There may be a voice in their head telling them that their ideas are not good enough, not unique, and that they are not up to the task of creating whatever it may be. This is something that many people experience and is actually called imposter syndrome. What if there was something that we could use to lighten our mind and help our original ideas to flow more creatively, without the negative and self doubting thoughts that many experience so often? Well, there might be! And it’s called cannabis, baby.

As many of you know, there are generally two strains of cannabis that dominate in today’s market – sativa and indica. When it comes to using marijuana for medical purposes, indica is generally the go to. This is because it can promote healing within the mind and body, and it also helps one to feel more relaxed and calm. Sativa strains, by contrast, are generally more energizing and can even enhance mood levels and creative thinking. Did you know that?

While you may be surprised to learn that weed can increase levels of creativity, you should know that many content creators have been using weed for centuries to help their thoughts flow freely. The reason you have not heard about it is because, well, it has been illegal to talk about! However, now that cannabis is becoming legalized in many states and is generally more accepted in our society, you may begin to notice a trend of using cannabis to help with all sorts of intellectual endeavors. Writing books, screenplays, designing buildings, playing music – the possibilities are endless!

If you think of using cannabis for creativity, you may think of some random pot-head band writing weird psychedelic song lyrics or something like that. There are actually a lot of famous people who have claimed to use marijuana for creative purposes that you would never expect (and some that you would expect). Certain music artists like Jay-Z Miley Cirus, Rihanna, and Doctor Dre have all produced creative music with the help of some nice sativa strains. Other actors and comedians have also admitted to using cannabis regularly for writing jokes, lines, and screenplays. Ever heard of Seth Rogan? You might not be surprised to learn that he loves some good weed when he can get his hands on it.

Just watch the movie Pineapple Express! (which also happens to be a strain of cannabis). If you are not already convinced of the creative benefits that you can find from using marijuana, allow me to introduce you to a more established and prominent writer that also may have used cannabis. Shakespeare’s 40 year-old pipes were actually found in his former home and were said to have contained traces of cannabis. Even Steve Jobs, the original creator of Apple Products, was said to use cannabis to feel more relaxed and creative. 

When it comes to smoking weed for creative purposes, your best bet is to start with some sativa rains. However, you are probably going to want to stick to some hybrids, as too much sativa can cause your thoughts to spew out at random and almost uncontrollably. I remember the first time I smoked weed, it felt like my thoughts were flying by on clouds and I could never grab and articulate them. Using a nice sativa dominant hybrid will help you produce some great creative vibes while still being able to stay grounded on planet Earth, instead of somewhere on Pluto/.